Ron Burgundy

Hawks must be a little restless. They traded their reigning B&F winner thinking that: - they'd then be bringing in Tom Mitchell AND Jaeger O'Meara; and - Jordan Lewis would spend at least one further season at the club. Since Sam Mitchell exited the building though, they've not yet landed O'Meara and they've lost Lewis. If they don't manage to land O'Meara, they would've brought in only Tom Mitchell and, in doing so, they've lost two super experienced mids (1&2 in the B&F). And they've lost a truckload of leadership and possibly respect within and external to the club. On any construction, that'd have to be a pretty bad trade period. A high stakes approach in the circumstances.

That's because we doubled up last year to get Oliver and Weideman. I see Weideman's as our first rounder this year. Any idea what he'd go for if he was in this year's draft? And, as an aside, we're stacked with high end young talent unlike several other clubs. We need to infuse some harder, more experienced bodies into the mix - hence our desire to get Lewis and Hibberd. Sure it'd be nice to retain pick 29 this year, but I think recruiting Hibberd is more valuable to us - and I suspect the club thinks this as well. Relevantly, I strongly suspect Essendon knows we think this and that will ultimately be reflected in the trade that gets done.

Yeah, but we want their player. They therefore have the whip hand on this.

Why? And cut off our nose despite our face? We actually want this player. Essendon initially wanted more than a second rounder for Hibberd. People seem now to be getting caught up in their (legitimate) hatred for Essendon and are losing sight of the fact that pick 29 for Hibberd is a fair deal. Sure he's had a year out of the game, but, unlike O'Meara who's essentially had 2 years out, he's not been injured. O'Meara's commanding insane trade value. Hibberd is a very, very good player and he'll be a great pick up for us. For pick 29.

And, to be honest, I hope we do if that's ultimately to be the case. Hibberd is a bloody good player and pick 29 for him is hardly paying 'overs'. He will add a lot to our list and I expect he will quite quickly become a required player for us. I hope they just get the deal done - perhaps also insist on a later pick coming back as well and we can let Jason Taylor weave some magic with it.

Is it tenacity?

Richmond is clearly a destination club.

We'd have to be firming for the flag next year. Surely.

Yep, I like Dunn. Disappointed he couldn't have been a one club player with us because his attitude towards this club was terrific, but I'm pleased he gets another chance.

I love his use of the word that I have put in bold below. "I looked at every Club in the competition and after going through every list, Melbourne was the one that stood out – if I wasn’t going to be at Hawthorn. It was clear to me that I wanted to play for the Melbourne Football Club. “I then met with Goody, Josh and Todd early last week and following that, it really solidified my thoughts about joining Melbourne. “I believe in what the Club is building. There is some outstanding young talent at the Club and that is an area I can certainly play a role in – mentoring and developing those players both in an on-field and off-field sense. “I’m really looking forward to this new challenge. We have a lot of work to do but from what I know, and from what I have seen firsthand, the players seem up for the fight and I can’t wait to get to work at the Club."

Love to read the texts that'd be flying around between the players right now ...

Destination club ...

Don't agree with this. I thought at the time it was a horrible play, and I still think it was. It ripped something intangible out of the club - 2002 was a cracking season (should've been in the prelim - Goodwin will remember how lucky the Crows were), and 2003 was an unmitigated disaster. The club also let Stephen Powell go to the Saints for nudda. Complete ball's up, which Daniher always tried to defend, unsuccessfully in my view. From memory, we got pick 14 or 16 or so for Woey, which we used to pick Daniel Bell.

It has been established on a criminal standard of proof that we will not be recruiting Rockliff during this trade period. Need now only to focus on landing Hibberd and Lewis and whatever other trade/s that we are currently pursuing that are not the subject of b.s. rumours on this thread (i.e. potential trades that are not known beyond Mahoney and a few others relevant to those discussions).

Jesse Hogan.

It's plainly b.s. That said, the prospect of recruiting Hibberd, Lewis and Rockcliff in one trade period for sweet f.a. in return was the stuff of dreams. And that, it seems, is all it was. Fingers crossed on Hibberd and Lewis though. Those two trades seem realistic and both of those players will improve our list, potentially significantly.

Who gets 31?

Sounds like the kind of promise Donald Trump makes ...

If he could've got into the 22 each week, that is.

Spot on ProDee. Rockcliff is an imposing midfielder who always looks strong and assured entering the forward 50 and also when competing for the ball in the forward 50. I remember him taking a mark against us at the G a few years ago when the game was in the balance, and he just owned the situation. He took the mark with complete authority, and then calmly and assuredly slotted the ensuing set shot. I remember thinking at the time - geez, I wish he played for us. Hibberd, Lewis, Rockcliff, all of our required players having agreed to extensions, and Taylor's ability to find good players deep in the draft - this would be a simply amazing outcome in the circumstances if it comes off.

This thread is essentially the reality tv of sport. I realise much of it is probably total b.s. but I can't get enough of it.

Clearly still not a destination club though.

What about against Hawthorn?

But I'm sure he's regularly checking Demonland for all trade developments, between beers that is.

You'd have to think so. He's been one of the senior leaders for one of AFL's greatest ever teams. For those here who knock his (lack of) pace, the reality is that he's clearly elite in terms of leadership and he simply must have a seat at the table at this club. This story is so bloody exciting. It says something that, on an entirely unsolicited basis, his management approached us as the club he wanted to join. You'd have to think that the next 2-3 years for Jordan Lewis would have to be a lot more exciting for him at the Dees rather than the Hawks given this week's events.